Finding the kit aircraft
that's right for you represents a complex evaluation and decision making process. In
buying an aircraft kit, you are not buying a completed airplane, but you are obtaining the
means to build and complete your own aircraft, by being supplied with a box of
parts and instructions.

Too often, buyers of kit aircraft base
their buying decision only on one or two factors (such as the finished product) -
overlooking important points in their decision making process - resulting in later
frustrations and unexpected surprises. Industry-wide, the kit completion ratio is low
(statistics show that many individuals who start a project never finish it) usually
because the kit (and not necessarily the design) does not meet the requirements or
expectations of the builder.

With literally hundreds of different
kit aircraft designs available on the market today, buyers have a wide choice of designs
to choose from. While each aircraft may have its own inherent advantages and
disadvantages, objectively analyzing and evaluating a number of kit aircraft will allow
you to select the design and kit that best meets all your specific requirements and
expectations.

Know What You're Looking For.
Pilots choose to build their aircraft for a number of reasons: Lower costs, better
aircraft performance and capabilities, challenge and rewards of building, etc. Know why
you want to build a kit aircraft so that can select the kit aircraft that will best meet
your goals.

Set Realistic Requirements.
Once you know what you're looking for, set realistic requirements. If you're looking
primarily for a low-cost aircraft for recreational flying, it may not be feasible to buy a
200-mph plane, or if you're not mechanically inclined it may be wiser to choose a simple
and easy-build kit that won't take you years to complete.

Know What To Expect.
Before you can fly your aircraft you'll have to build it, so don't overlook the
importance of the building part. Many kits never progress beyond this point because
builders give up on the project due to unexpected complexity, cost, skills, time
requirement or lack of factory support. Researching the different designs and kits, and
the companies behind them, will allow you to set realistic expectations on what it will
take you to successfully complete the kit aircraft.

Be Realistic. Making your
dream of building and flying your own aircraft come true requires certain 'reality
checks'. Limit your search to aircraft kits that match your building ability and budget,
and choose an aircraft that will be suitable for your piloting skills. Realize that claims
from certain kit manufacturers may be overly optimistic, and keep in mind that if
something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Use common sense in comparing and
evaluating the large number of kits on the market, and remember your underlying
requirements and expectations.

Set Priorities. Once
you've decided what your realistic requirements and goals are, prioritize them so that you
may evaluate and compare the different kits on the market based on how they meet those
requirements.

The following comparative analysis
worksheet is a useful tool to objectively evaluate and compare different kit aircraft on
the market based on how well each design and kit meets your requirements.

The following comparative analysis is
made up of a number of separate worksheets developed to help you objectively evaluate and
compare kit aircraft. By setting priorities, the worksheet allows you to effectively find
the kit aircraft that will best meet your requirements. The worksheet list of
evaluation items is by no means exhaustive, and can be modified to suit your specific
requirements.

Weight:
Relative importance to you of item being evaluated:

Rating:
Rating for item being evaluated for each particular aircraft:

Each item you evaluate on the following
list must first be provided a weight number - indicating the item's
importance to you in selecting a kit aircraft. Weigh each item on a scale of 1 to 3, with
3 being very important and 1 being of little importance to you.

Next, rate each kit for
the particular item being evaluated on a scale of 1 to 3, with 3 being most favorable
(positive factor) and 1 being not favorable (negative factor).

Finally, enter each kit's score
for the item being evaluated. The kit score is the item's weight multiplied by its rating.
The total score for each kit is the sum of all the individual item scores
for the kit.

EXAMPLE:
If KIT PRICE is an important evaluation item to you, weigh the KIT PRICE item a
"3" (Very Important). Then, rate each kit on their respective kit price (if KIT
A is seen as affordable and competitively prices (a positive), rate it a "3"
(conversely, if the kit price is expensive, rate it a "1"). The score for the
kit price is "3" (weight) multiplied by "3" (rating), providing a kit
score of "9". Once all the items have been evaluated, add all the scores to see
which kit rates the best (highest score).

EXAMPLE

Kit A:

Kit B:

Weight

Evaluation Item

Rating

Score

Rating

Score

Kit Price

3
2
1

3
2
1

Importance to you of item
being evaluated. ie. "3" is very important (kit price is very important).

Factor being evaluated.

Rating of this particular
kit for item being evaluated. ie. "3" is very favorable (kit price is very
competitive).

Item Score: Weight
multiplied by Rating, in this example 9, or 3 multiplied by 3).

Rating of this particular
kit for item being evaluated.

Item Score: Weight
multiplied by Rating.

The Competitive Analysis has been
broken down into the following five worksheets:

Once you have completed the worksheets,
add the total score from each worksheet and compare the grand total scores of all five
worksheets for the kits being evaluated. Based on the information you've entered, the kit
with the highest rating will best meet your stated requirements - providing you with an
objective comparative analysis.

Hints on Using the
Worksheets:

Due to the detail of the information
being evaluated, you may find it most useful to print the worksheets and to fill in the
rating information later as it is gathered (or save the files to a local directory)

Use multiple copies of the same
worksheet to evaluate more than two different aircraft.

For evaluation items that do not apply,
simply do not rate the item. For an item that is of particular importance, you can provide
a weight factor or rating higher than the standard given range (ie. use 5 instead of 3).

Please remember that this is just a
worksheet to objectively document the complex decision-making process in selecting the kit
that's best suited for you. You may find that some of the evaluation items are not
appropriate for your particular needs.